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U.S. Campus Life

Masako's marathon

By Masako Yamada


もう一つのマラソン

4月16日、第105回ボストンマラソンが開催されました。ここ数年、マラソンのときは選手に声援を送ってきた雅子さんですが、今年は8人分ものお弁当を作って友達と一緒に観戦することになりました。観戦にふさわしいお弁当を考え、数日前から準備。雅子さん自身にとっても、大変な「マラソン」となりました。

The 105th Boston Marathon was held last week. I started preparing for the event a few days beforehand. This doesn't mean that I finally decided to overcome my physical laziness by training for the marathon: the only muscles that I've been flexing lately are the muscles that lift pots and pans. I decided to make a picnic lunch for a group of friends who would be watching the marathon with me, and I chose to start preparation ahead of time so I wouldn't have to get up early on the day of the marathon.

I've "participated" in the Boston Marathon every year for the past eight years. I'm strictly a spectator, but one could argue that spectators make the event special. I read that an estimated 500,000 spectators had lined the roads this year. One of the main reasons the Boston Marthon is such a fun event is because the cheering and applauding crowds create a city-wide party atmosphere.

This year, I invited a few of my friends to join me in watching the marathon at Boston University, including some who have just come to Boston from Japan. BU is not known to be the hottest marathon watching spotWellesley College, Heartbreak Hill and the finish line in Copley Square are much more popular — but I like watching the runners pass by in front of my lab building. I chose this spot because I figured it would be a good way for me to show my friends my university while watching the marathon at the same time.

Fenway Park, which is only a few hundred meters away, was also having a special game the same time as the marathon. Hideo Nomo has already made a big splash as a new Bostonian, and I suspected that my Japanese friends would enjoy witnessing the excitement coming from the stadium, as well as the noise coming from the crowds on the street.

I didn't plan on making lunch for my friends until one of them asked me whether she should bring anything to eat. I told her that she shouldn't worry about it because I'd make lunch for everyone. And I suddenly found that I had the job of making it for eight people. I put my friend at ease by telling her that I've made food for large groups many times before. However, I soon realized that making a picnic lunch for a group of people is not the same as making dinner at home.

As any experienced Japanese knows, lunch items have to be tasty even after they're cold. They also have to be made of long-lasting foods that won't spoil even after they've been sitting around for a while. Since I knew we'd be standing, not sitting, while watching the marathon, I realized that I'd have to make foods without sauces or without small bits of vegetables or meat. Plates and utensils can be awkward to handle while standing, so I decided to make only foods that one could eat with a toothpick or with one's hands. In this sense, sandwiches are the ideal spectator food.

However, since most of the group members were Japanese, I decided to stick to Japanese food. I skimmed through several Japanese cookbooks and made a list of foods that seemed appropriate.

There are lots of ways one can reduce last-minute stress before such an event. A few days before the marathon, I made three items that could sit for a few days in the fridge without damage. I tried to make some things — like marinated fish — that would in fact taste better after a couple of days. And, yes, I finally decided to accept my friend's repeated offers to help by cooking something extra.

My personal finish line for this marathon was to complete the lunches on the morning of the marathon. Thanks to prior training and planning, I was able to successfully reach my goal in time. In fact, I was able to enjoy a leisurely "last spurt" on the morning of the race. My friend begged me not to wake up at 5 a.m. in the morning to prepare the lunch, and I certainly didn't. After spending a few days planning for the lunches, I was free to enjoy attending the "other" marathon — the Boston Marathon.


Shukan ST: April 27, 2001

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